The IIT-Kanpur (IIT-K) is among 4139 institutions, which have been debarred under the provisions of Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA), 2010, with immediate effect, and hence will not be able accept foreign donations. The union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) action against the premier institute is attributed to laid-back attitude in submitting documents supporting the usage of foreign funds, an official statement said.

The prime objective of the act is – to regulate the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution and foreign hospitality by persons and associations working in the important areas of national life.

Besides IIT-K, FCRA registration of eight other premier institutions in the country, including Jamia Milia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has also been scrapped.

IIT-K is one of the foremost institutes in the country for higher education, receives generous grants from its alumni and overseas organisations for research and other activities. According to MHA officials, IIT-K (FCRA registration No.R-136530050) received foreign funding amounting to about Rs.6 crore in the previous financial year.

In 2010-11, the institute’s planning and resource generation department received a donation of Rs.4.08 crore from 772 donors of which 501 were domestic donors while 271 donors were from foreign countries.

“For many researches and other activities, foreign funding by our alumni is very crucial. MHA’s decision will hit us for sure,” a faculty member is reported to have said. Many in IIT-K see the MHA decision as yet another “deliberate attempt” to push the premier institute into “submission before the central government’s authority”. Earlier, they alleged it was the move to hold common entrance tests.